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Friday, February 10, 2012
Youth jobs are focus of proposed ballot measure
by Kathleen Haley, published on January 1, 2010 at 10:43 AM
Storyline: Sacramento City Hall / Politics
A measure to provide funding for jobs and other services for young people in Sacramento has been proposed for an upcoming ballot. The funding for youth would come from a $29 annual tax on parcels of property in the city, which would be paid by property owners.
The Youth Jobs and Opportunity Act is endorsed by the Sacramento Central Labor Council, said Bill Camp, the council’s executive secretary. The proposal was filed with the City Clerk's office Dec. 22.
“We’ll come out of this recession,” Camp said. “The point is: Do we come out of it with young people prepared to go after the jobs that are going to be created in this new economy?”
The proposed initiative aims to deliver services to young people ages 11 to 25. The funding would be split into three categories. Jobs and job training for young people would receive at least 40 percent of the funding. At least 20 percent of the funding would be paid to programs that help students with their academic progress. Services for at-risk youth would receive at least 20 percent of the dollars.
After-school programs, apprenticeships and street outreach efforts, among other programs, could be eligible for funding.
“In order to remain competitive in today’s changing global economy, Sacramento’s young people must be provided with the support, experiences and opportunities that will prepare them to thrive in the workforce and make positive contributions to the community,” the proposal states.
Camp noted that the proposed initiative includes a tax exemption for low-income property owners.
The City Clerk’s office expects to receive a ballot title and summary for the proposed initiative from City Attorney Eileen Teichert by Jan. 6, according to assistant city clerk Stephanie Mizuno.
Read the proposed initiative here.
The city’s process for a ballot initiative is outlined here.
Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.
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Why don't they tax everyone instead of just a small population of people who pay property taxes? In doing that they would raise more money and all the people voting for this measure would be affected by the tax. This measure also pits those who have to pay property taxes against those who don't care because someone else will be taxed and not them.
Lame.... vote NO.
These services can and should already be incorporated into existing programs administered by education (where haughty administrators there look upon "work" as being a dirty word), SETA and EDD and County Dept of Human Services. Were the county funds for TANF totally eliminated? DHA’s mission on its website still reads "fostering self-sufficiency among those it serves touches every facet of daily life, from employment . . education . . ."
No youth should have to pay to learn vocational skills in a two-year college as they do in California, but not in many other states.
An existing major problem with current programs is the failure to include parents for those 18 and under 18 to ensure parental support.
Perhaps if kids actually stayed in school, studied and prepared themselves through the innumerable courses available through the high schools, community colleges and private colleges, they would be prepared to enter the labor market. After all isn't this a function of the schools??
This sounds like something Darrel Steinberg would dream up... which means ist bound to appeal to the yahoos on the city council.
Unions have known for decades that cooperation with Voc Rehab, private skills training schools, apprenticeship programs and in other states high schools with shop and vocational training courses and trade tech schools is to their and industry's advantage. Such courses produced excellent candidates to be hired for OJT and trades by various businesses and industries.
It was also the labor union members whose efforts and sacrifice, often in lives, gained momentum and support against tremendous robber baron odds in the 1800's which finally created a blue collar middle class in this country.
Rhys02: What are those "innumerable" shop and vocational classes in Calif high schools? More mechanically gifted students would probably stay in school if they were allowed to acquire skills which enabled them upon graduation to enter into jobs which paid a reasonable wage to earn a living.
Dale you have probably never been in a union in your life... In fact when was the last time you even had a job?
Stop commenting on something you have no experience or knowledge of. UNIONS fight tooth and nail to shut down ALL non union training programs....
please and thnak you
xoxo
You are the one who should stop making accusations and commenting on things you have little factual knowledge of.